A typical commercial airplane gas turbine engine includes a thrust reverser cowling nacelle. The nacelle structure consists of an inner and outer cowl joined with bifurcations. The engine fan airstream runs through the annular cavity between the two cowls. The inner cowl or wall covers the engine case, accessories, and ducting installed therein. Because the engine case is very hot, up to 1100 degrees F., the inside surface of the inner cowl, referred to as the thrust reverser inner wall, is exposed to high radiative energy.
Thrust reverser inner wall structures have generally been made with aluminum skin, an aluminum honeycomb core, and a layer of applied insulation on the hot surface adjacent to the engine case. This metallic thrust reverser inner wall has been effective in conducting heat away from the engine to the surface adjacent to the fan airstream. A metallic structure is heavy, resulting in a signigicant high weight penalty. In addition, the aluminum is susceptible to corrosion damage.
To reduce the weight penalty and improve acoustic characteristics, the thrust reverser inner wall has been built with an aluminum honeycomb core sandwiched between carbon fiber layers. As a result of the carbon fibers adjacent to the aluminum core, the wall structure has been susceptible to galvanic corrosion, particularly in the presence of moisture. Such corrosion creates a potential for subsequent structural failure of the aluminum core that is not acceptable.